Jason Swann's Gobtones Journey
by yellow 14
Summary: Jason Swann reflects on how he became so proficient at the game of Gobstones. Written for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition round 11


Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

AN: After drifting through the Harry Potter Wiki, I found a number of ultra-obscure characters without a single fic to their name. Naturally, my muse wants to adopt them all.

AN2: Jason Swann is a character who turns up in the Playstation 2 game version of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. His brother is an OC of mine.

Jason Swann licked his lips and with a tentative flick, knocked his gobstone forward.

The gobstone slid forward and hit the opposing piece. There was a moment of silence as the crowd sat on the edge of their seats. The tension in the air was almost palatable. It was a wonder that it didn't spontaneously erupt into flames. Then, with a relief that was almost palatable, the opposing gobstone rolled out of the circle and squirted the unfortunate player with foul-smelling gunk. The crowd went wild and a wizard in purple and red robes stepped forward.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner!" he announced as he held up Jason's arm. "The victor of the two-thousand and eight International Gobstones Tournament is Britain's representative, Jason Swann!"

Jason smiled and waved at the crowds. Unlike Quidditch players and broomstick racers, he wasn't physically imposing or particularly fit. But in the refined art of Gobstones, physical limitations didn't matter. It was all in the finger work. He smiled once more for the crowds and turned to face his opponent. He extended his hand the two men shook hands.

"Congratulations on winning," his opponent said. "You must have had a good teacher indeed."

Jason allowed his mind to wander back some fifteen years, away from his twenty-four year old self and the bright lights of the arena and back to his ninth birthday just over fifteen years earlier.

Fifteen years ago

"Happy birthday kiddo!" Jason's older brother Gordon said with a smile as he rubbed his hands through his younger brother's hair. Jason shook his head playfully.

"Don't do that!" he protested and Gordon chuckled.

"Is my wittle baby bwother all gwown up?" he asked in a gently mocking way and Jason pouted. "Don't worry, at this rate you'll be taller than me when you've finished growing."

"Wish I could go to Hogwarts with you," he said and Gordon smiled.

"You will do. Later, when you're old enough," he said, before giving Jason a firm look. "But until then, here's a little something for you from the magical world." He dropped a wrapped box onto Jason's lap. Jason's response was instant. He quickly tore the paper off to see…a brightly coloured box of red and green. Jason looked at it critically and read the words inscribed on the box.

"Gobstones? What are Gobstones?" he asked curiously and Gordon smiled.

"Gobstone's is a wizarding game that is played a lot like marbles," he explained and tapped Jason's box of marbles. "It comes in three different forms. The first is the traditional game where you have to knock all fifteen of your opponent's stones out of the circle. Then there's the classic game in which you have to knock seven stones out of the circle before your opponent does." Gordon paused for a moment before continuing. "Then there's Jack Stone in where you have to move your Gobstone as close to the Jack Gobstone as you can in four moves and the spin off of that game, Snake Pit, which is the same game except instead of trying to get as close to the Jack Gobstone, you get as close as possible to a hole in the centre."

"Okay. Do you fancy a game then?" Jason asked and his brother smirked.

"You wouldn't even be good enough to get close," he said arrogantly and Jason felt a surge of annoyance. His brother might have been two and a half years older and firmly entrenched in the wizarding world, but that didn't mean that Jason was about to let him get away with that.

"Oh yeah? I bet I could beat you on my first game!" he countered and Gordon raised an eyebrow.

"And what, would you be willing to bet?" he asked, a hint of challenge entering his voice and Jason smiled.

"If you win, I will kiss your feet. And if I win, you will…" Jason paused for a moment as he tried to think of something for his brother to do if he lost. Gordon seized the moment.

"How about I agree to kiss my own feet?" he suggested and Jason nodded.

"Yeah, that's it!" he said excitedly and they quickly broke out the game. It took only a matter of moments to set up. There was a board in the box that was charmed to present a flat surface when in use and another to keep the gobstones from falling off of the board. Within a matter of minutes, they had a game in progress.

There was a tense silence as Jason watched his first gobstone be knocked out of the ring. He couldn't take his eyes off of it. Although it was just a small round ball, it still represented a connection to the magical world, a connection he was going to have when he went to Hogwarts. A connection he didn't have yet, living with their muggle parents. A connection he was almost certain to have. He had already demonstrated accidental magic, it was only a matter of time before he received his letter Only a mat-"

Whoosh! A sudden stream of putrid liquid caught Jason in the face, breaking into his line of thought and his brother chuckled.

"Did I forget to mention that the pieces spit out a nasty liquid when you lose them?" he said and Jason spluttered in annoyance.

"I think you forgot to mention that," he replied, slightly annoyed at his Gordon's smug look.

"Oh dear. Well now you know," Gordon told him and with a barely concealed smirk. Jason returned his attention to the game at hand but the spray had left him distracted. Soon that first spray was joined by others and Gordon had a swift and decisive victory. He lifted his feet onto the bed and pulled his socks off.

"That's not fair! I was put off by the stone spitting at me!" Jason protested and Gordon smirked.

"Not my problem. Now pucker up and kiss," he replied, pointing to his feet. Jason leaned forward and gave them a quick peck, before backing away as fast as he could. Gordon pulled his socks back on with a flourish. Jason glared at his brother once more and swept up the set. As his brother made his way downstairs, Jason swore to himself that he would beat his brother at Gobstones if it was the last thing he ever did.

Three years later

Jason looked at his brother through a layer of foul smelling gunk. His brother was also coated in the stuff, but he was smiling.

"Tough luck Jason. You still can't beat me," he said triumphantly as he leaned back in the red and gold sofa he was in. He waved his hand around the Gryffindor common room. "Why don't you try something you can win at for a change?"

Jason gave his brother a smirk.

"I've gotten a lot better. There was a time I couldn't even touch you," he countered and his brother laughed.

"But you still can't beat me. And you never will," he said with a smirk as he stood up and ruffled Jason's hair. "Bye bye brother."

Jason winced. While he could count on his brother to back him in a tight spot, it didn't stop him being a pain in the neck half the time. He picked up his Gobstones set swore he WOULD beat Gordon one day at this game.

Five years later.

Jason leaned back in his chair and smirked at the shocked expression on Gordon's face. After years of trying and countless games, he had finally won a game of Gobstones against his brother, just as he had promised. True, it had been a close game, but victory was sweet.

"Looks like I beat you," he said with a amusement. Gordon just stared in disbelief, as though he couldn't believe that he had just lost to his little brother of all people. Jason stood up and swiftly packed his game away.

"Congratulations," Gordon said as Jason turned away. "You earned it."

Present day.

"Let's just say, i had a very good teacher," Jason said, before turning away and walking to the changing rooms.


End file.
